Flames Ranked No. 20 in First CSN FCS Poll

With August training camps opening up around the country, the first media-issued FCS preseason ranking has been released, with Liberty coming in at No. 20 in the College Sporting News (CSN) FCS preseason poll.

The Flames are coming off their fourth-straight Big South championship season, where Liberty finished its 2010 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and a 5-1 mark in league play.

Liberty became the first program in Big South history to capture four conference titles in a row, capping off a run where the Flames have posted a combined 21-4 record during head coach Danny Rocco's span at the helm of Liberty's program.

Liberty finished the 2010 season ranked No. 19 in the final FCS Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the last Sports Network listing. The FCS Coach Poll ranking was the second-highest year-end team ranking in program history.

Appalachian State, winner of the FCS national championship for three-straight years from 2005 to 2007, was the top pick in the poll that was constructed by the CSN poll.

Georgia Southern, winners of six FCS national championships, ranks second in the preseason CSN listing. The Eagles are followed by No. 3 Delaware, No.4 William & Mary and defending national champion Eastern Washington at No. 5.

Two of Liberty's four FCS non-conference opponents are currently ranked above the Flames in the CSN preseason poll. James Madison, who Liberty hosts on Sept. 17, is ranked No. 14, while Lehigh, which the Flames travel to the next weekend on Sept. 24, is listed at No. 16.

Robert Morris, who Liberty opens up the home portion of its 2011 schedule against, is one of nine programs who received votes but did not crack the final Top 25 listing.

The Flames open up their "The Quest Continues" training camp tomorrow afternoon with their first practice at 2:20 p.m. Liberty will kick off the 2011 season on Sept. 3, when the team travels to Raleigh, N.C., in its first-ever meeting against N.C. State on ESPN3.com.